This post departs from my usual photography and home-life stuff, I suppose. But since I had been thinking on the issue of church membership recently, this post by 9Marks is quite timely, and I wanted to share it.
I'm really thankful that we're part of a church that subscribes to covenant-bound, elder-led congregationalism. Maybe that's a new idea to some; maybe it just sounds fussy. But it's really important to the way our church works, and I'd like to give it my best shot at explaining what it means for us.
The 9Marks post does a great job (especially if you follow the links) at explaining elder-led congregationalism, so I'll just talk about what I mean by covenant-bound.
I'm not referring to covenant theology or new-covenant theology (I don't like to get into those terms because I don't thoroughly understand them!). Covenant refers to the piece of paper which each member signs when joining the church. This is our Church Covenant (ignore the request for a password - just cancel it and read on). It's not a list of dos and don'ts but rather a concise reminder of how a Christian ought to live in this world - go ahead and read it; it'll only take a minute.
When I say "covenant-bound", I mean that each person who joins the church agrees to be held accountable to live as this covenant describes. That doesn't mean that we are to be nosy, busy-bodies and checking into everybody else's business making sure they toe the line. Not at all. But we are to lovingly hold one another accountable and encourage each other to live by the Scriptures.
We read this covenant corporately at all members' meetings and prior to partaking in the Lord's Supper each month. It's an encouragement to each of us to continue to walk worthy of our calling in the Lord Jesus. And it's an encouragement to know that my brothers and sisters in Christ will "exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over [me] and faithfully admonish and entreat [me] as occasion may require." And they expect me to do the same for them.
Hmm, just a word about the way we practice church membership and congregationalism here...
I know that most churches are NOT practicing church membership or congregationalism like this, so it may sound completely weird to you. And I'm ok with that. [smile]
As an elder-led congregational church, new members are added when:
- they've completed a membership course (nothing new there)
- and have been interviewed by one or more of the elders to establish their testimony and understanding of the gospel (maybe nothing new there either)
- and they agree to abide by the Church Covenant by signing it (anything new yet?)
- and they've been recommended by the elders to the congregation (how about now?)
- AND the congregation votes to receive them into membership after having heard a brief recount of the person's testimony (now, I bet that's new!).
But here's the big kicker...a member is only removed from the church when:
- they've given a letter of resignation to the elders
- and the elders have reviewed said letter and recommended to the congregation to see the member out based on the member's intent to join a like-minded, gospel-preaching church (a particular church that has been named, not just "a" church or "any" church because they're "shopping around")
- AND the congregation votes to see the member out
OR
- a member is found to be living in unrepentant sin
- and, after the appropriate Scriptural discipline process is carried out and restoration is found to be impossible, the elders recommend that the congregation remove the member
- AND the congregation votes to remove the member from the church body
That's it. Those are the only two ways about it. Maybe it sounds kind of crazy - once you're in, you're in until we all say you're out.
But to me, it's reassuring. No one is going to fall into the cracks. No one is just going to up and disappear with no one knowing where they got to or why they left...or even with some folks knowing where they went and why they left but the rest feeling clueless. No one is going to move away and have the rest of the church wondering where they ended up or what kind of church they're joining. There is follow-through to help moving members find a new gospel-preaching church.
Does this sound exclusive or restrictive? I'm sure it does to some; maybe it does to you. But to me it's comforting. And it sure does make the job of elders/pastors easier because they know who is part of the flock for which they're held accountable to God.
You can read a much, much better explanation of all of this in the book What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever. Check out chapter 10 on church membership. Here's a quick quote to whet your appetite: "Joining a church is an act of saying, 'I am now your responsibility, and you are my responsibility.'" The following chapter on Biblical church discipline is helpful as well.
Ok, getting off my soapbox now...just go get the book!
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